Roderick Lim

Prof. Dr. Roderick Lim is an Associate Professor at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, where he leads a research group since 2014. His work bridges biophysics, nanotechnology, and molecular biology, focusing on the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and mechanobiology of cells. He develops biomimetic systems for selective molecular transport and ARTIDIS, a nanomechanical tissue diagnostic platform commercialized for breast cancer prognosis.

• Education: BSc (UNC Chapel Hill), PhD (NUS/IMRE Singapore), Postdoc (Swiss Nanoscience Institute)
• Positions: Argovia Professor (2014–present), Tenure Track Asst. Prof. (2009–2013), Postdoc (2004–2008)

His research on NPC transport selectivity reveals how karyopherins modulate the FG Nup barrier via multivalent interactions, with implications for viral entry and Alzheimer’s disease. His ARTIDIS platform uses atomic force microscopy to detect cancer via tissue softness, linking hypoxia to metastasis. Recent 2025 publications explore bacterial nanoharpoon defense mechanisms and DNA origami-based NPC mimics.

• Scientific Awards: Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Prize (2008), A*STAR Fellowship (2004)
• Collaborations: NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering, NanoTera, KTI

He mentors PhD students in institutions across Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden, and the UK, with alumni working on polymersome delivery, mechanotransduction, and pathogen transport. His lab pioneered high-speed atomic force microscopy for real-time NPC dynamics and plasmonic nanopores for synthetic biology applications.